Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-04

ments at Washington, the causes OF de-
lay IN the transaction OF public bust
mess, as TO the necessity for additional
buildings, &c, was taken up.
Mr.. Van Wyck offered an amendment
10 add the words land also ~ TO the
causes of delay in transacting public
business in Congress" Senators did
not know that there WIS any delay 10
the departments, but they did know
that there was delay" criminal de-
lay in Congress.
The amendment was rejected. The
resolution was agreed to-.
The conference report on House bill
authorizing the employment of mail
messengers in the postal service was
made and concurred in.
The Senate then, at half-past II,
| proceeded TO the consideration of the
legislative, executive, and judicial APP
preparation bill, voting on the amend
mcnts recommended by the Committee
on appropriations as they were reached.
The Pacific railroad inquiry bill, en-
rolled, has been signed by the presiding
officer Of the Senate. Having been al
ready signed by the Speaker OF the
House, IT will be taken Immediately to
| the President
As the Commute on Appropriations
had to report on very few amendments
to the bill, and these of but little i'm
portance, there was no delay beyond
that made necessary by the complete
reading OF the bill Ql4 printed pages,
which was done very rapidly, and at
half-past / the end was reached. Then
there were some propositions TO in
crease salaries, bat none Of them were
successful.
A statement was made by Mr.. ALI
son, in response to an inquiry from Mr..
| Fdmunds, TO the effect that, on the
whole, there was no increase in the
clerical force Of the departments pro-
vided for in the bill. There was a
slight decrease in the Treasury Depart
ment and about a proportionate in
crease in the Interior and War Depart
ments.
At $50 j. NJ. the bill, which had
been constructively in Committee of
the Whole, was reported to the Senate
and was passed.
Mr.. Allison then submitted the con-
ference report on the sundry civil bill.
In explanation of the action of the
Senate cOnferrees, Mr.. Allison said that
| in order to come to All agreement they
had to postpone several appropriations
which the Senate deemed necessary.
The Senate conferrees had endeavorcd
to secure appropriations for all the
necessary expenses of the Government,
and if it should be found that the bill
did not so provide the fault would not
be with the Senate or its conferrees.
Mr.. Beck (another of the conferrecs)
said that whatever fault might be found
with the bill it was the very best that
could be had at the present session
The bill as now presented contained
substantially what was absolutely need
ed. Matters that had been struck ont
could be postponed without great de
triment.
Mr.. Hoar said he desired to call the
attention of the Senate TO what seemed
TO him q very grave evii--one that
threatened in substance q revolutionary
change in the constitutional methods
of the Government What he asked
was the effect of the holding back of
appropriation bills until the last seven
or ten or fifteen days of the session of
Congress. The result was that, unless
the House and Senate both submitted
to the dictation of some three
or four men who happened TO
be members of the Committee
on Appropriations in the House
of Representatives on the majority side,
the great appropriation bills fail and an
extra session became necessary. 1t not
merely compels the Senate and House
to submit under penalty of an extra
four men, but it throws out of the
other house the consideration of all
other important measures which do not
come within the control Of this Com
mittee on Appropriations. l read
the other day in newspaper let
ter from a gentleman who was said
to be Speaker of the House
/ will not undertake now to say
whether he holds that Office or not.
1t was addressed to gentleman who
was said TO hold the office of chairman
Of the Committee on Appropriations i'll
the House, and to two other gentlemen
Of wide national reputation holding
high positions in the councils of the
Democratic party These three gentle
men wrote to the Speaker and COM
planned that they had not been recog
nized by him for the purpose of moving
IA measure forthe revision of the tariff
measure which the American people
desire. and which the majority of the
members of that body also desire-and
the Speaker replied, stating as his rea
son for refusing to recognize on the
floor Of the body over which he pre-
sided a gentleman to make that motion
that he did not approve of the measure
which that gentleman proposed to
move, and that, therefore, he would
not recognize him for that purpose.
But be said that If these gentlemen
would carry their proposed revision
Of the tariff into the Democratic
caucus, and would submit to what
should turn out to he the views of that
caucus on the subject, whether they
were the views ofsthe House or not, he |
then, in his discretion, would permit |
that motion to be made. Now / say |
that up to any time within the last
twenty years such an attempted usur-
patton OF power would have created a
storm in this country that would
have either driven the usrTper out of |
his seat or wuuld have occasioned a
revolution in the Government itself. |
Under the Constitution a majority of |
the representatives of the States and a
majority of the representatives of the
people have a right 10 make or to
change the laws under which the peo-
pie are to live-subject, of course, to
the veto power OF the Executive but
here is n claim advanced i'll the face OF
the American people, alike overthrow
ing the constitutional power of the
Senate and the constitutional power OF
the House, and degrading every single
member of that great assembly, the
House of Representatives, which ought |
10 be the most dignifed Legislative body |
on the face of the earth. Who does
not know that under the existing con-
dition of things Legislation is conducted